HH-first timer ?'s

[Buttercup]

Hello,
DH and I are going to HH for our first time. We're going the end of April 2005. I have a few questions for you HH pros. Is this a good time of year to go? Is the weather good? How are crowds?

I have to do a lot of reading up on HH so we know what to do and where to eat. Any recommendations are welcome.

We will have a car so we can venture away from the resort. Any must-see sights on the island?

Thanks in advance. I'm so excited about this trip. We've loved all our DVC trips to WDW. It's fun to try something else finally.

Buttercup

 

[Doctor P]

You will LOVE HH! We stayed one night at HH in summer 2003 and fell in love. We added on at HH just last month to assure that we could make future trips there in a studio at high season. One thing I would recommend is a dolphin tour where they take you out in a boat to see dolphins in the wild.

 

[Doug Wolfe]

We are very excited as well, taking our first trip to Hilton Head in May. We will have a 2-bedroom for our family of 5.

I am already doing research for this trip. The previous poster is right, there are several dolphin tours. HH is also apparently close to a marina, so I will probably open the wallet for a boat rental one afternoon.

Savannah, Georgia & Charleston, South Carolina are also short drives away, so we are looking at doing a day trip to one of these historic cities. I visited Charleston in the summer of 2000, it is a great place to visit.

Can't wait to see posts from others with Hilton Head suggestions.

 

[NCRedding]

We went in mid April of 2003. The weather was in the mid 70 to low 80s. The pool was heated, but getting out was a little chilly for us. We went over to the beach house and swam in that pool. The beach was not warm enough for us that day--cloudy and with a wind. The ocean is cool in April.

We loved HH--there are pool tables, ping pong tables. We weren't able to rent a bike that week as the resort was full, but the only time it felt full was at the camp-out. There are shopping outlets nearby. We enjoyed dinner at Truffles which is near the outlets. There is a nature center on the island (can't remember the name) that offers classes, etc.

We loved HH-- have a great time

 

[GCM13]

A couple of years ago, we went to HH the last week of April and the weather was beautiful. Temps in the 80s, just a little rain on the day we checked out. The resort was not crowded at all, neither was the island. It's not a busy time at HH at that time of year. My inlaws go every year that week for that reason. Easy to get into restaurants, roads not as busy, nice weather, not too hot, etc. We were able to get a member rate of $180 for a 2 bedroom for our Friday night stay instead of using the high points. Can't help you with sight-seeing, we basically just hang out at the pool or beach house all day. Our kids loved their activities though, especially the unbirthday party, butterfly house painting, and t-shirt fish painting (can't remember the name of the activity). You'll have a great time, especially at this time of year.

 

[LoriKutchey]

We too are thinking of going to HH. How are my chances at getting a studio in the summer at the 7 mos. window. Pretty slim?

Thanks, Lori

 

[Doctor P]

Generally pretty slim, at least for weekdays. I called for single Sunday in July 2003 and got the last studio at precisely 9:00 am on the day the 7 month window opened. I had called a few days earlier to just see if I was going to have any shot--at that point there were two studios and one 1BR available on the night we needed.

 

[dis-happy]

On island sight seeing: go visit Sea Pines Plantation, located at the end of the island.

Once there, places to go:

Harbor Town: climb the lighthouse, great view! There is also a great playground there. Plus golf courses if your dh golfs. You can also get on a trolley that takes you on a loop with 4 stops---it's free, and my kids enjoy it. Make sure you get the one that says it's going to the beach, otherwise you will only see the parking lots!

South Beach Marina: shopping, including the Salty Dog Cafe t-shirt shop.

 

[cgcw]

Originally posted by Doctor P
One thing I would recommend is a dolphin tour where they take you out in a boat to see dolphins in the wild.

I just wanted to add that there are a couple different options for the dolphin tours. Some are a large boat that take a big group of people out at one time. These are a bit more economically priced. The other option is a smaller boat which will take 6 people out at time. The smaller boats are a bit more expensive but are able to get up closer to the dolphins.

We've only done the smaller boat but based on our experience, it's been worth the extra money. The smaller boats can be arranged right through Disney -- Scott from Low Country Touring is currently contracted with Disney for these tours. I've also seen the tours running out of Harbour Town and I'm sure others are around in the area.

The larger boats can be arranged right at Shelter Cove as well as other locations.

Whatever route you choose for your families, I know it will be an awesome experience.

 

[vernon]

Strongly recommend the dolphin cruise organised through Disney's recreation department. The boat leaves from a jetty right by Disney property and with the smaller numbers you get a much better chance of flexibility on the tour. Sometimes they will let the older kids have a go at driving the boat on the way back .

Pinkney Island is the nature reserve that's about 10 minutes drive from the resort. They also do organised trips, from Disney, with transportation. At that time of year you'd get a lot of migrating birds to watch and the gators should be reasonably active as well. There are a lot of activities for the kids, both during the day and evenings. Chef Gordon does a selection of interesting evening "classes" like wine and cheese pairing and some cooking things.

IMHO the best dining option at HH is Chef Gordon's "A Private Affair" , currently hosted at the DVC beachhouse. Second best on my trip was the Old Oyster Factory (great views at sunset). There are a number of reasonable restaurants and bars within walking distance of the resort.

 

[Buttercup]

Thank you all so much for your responses. It all sounds like so much fun. We're looking forward to a relaxing trip, but we don't want to miss some of the interesting stuff in the area.

What is a "private affair"?

Thanks,
Buttercup

 

[RobDoc]

A Private Affair is a dinner for your group, prepared by Chef Gordon at the resort. It is offered at the Beach House, overlooking the ocean and he can/will prepare anything you'd enjoy. He does offer a suggested menu and specializes in local, low-country cuisine. Advance reservations are suggested.

Here is a prior thread with information about <a href="http://disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=322182">A Private Affair.</a>